Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) has announced the recall of five Neutrogena and Aveeno brand aerosol sunscreens after internal testing reportedly showed "low levels of benzene in some samples of the products." Benzene is a sweet-smelling carcinogen that vaporizes in the air.
The company recall announcement includes "NEUTROGENA® Beach Defense® aerosol sunscreen, NEUTROGENA® Cool Dry Sport aerosol sunscreen, NEUTROGENA® Invisible Daily™ defense aerosol sunscreen, NEUTROGENA® Ultra Sheer® aerosol sunscreen, and AVEENO® Protect + Refresh aerosol sunscreen."
The recall includes canisters of all sizes and SPF levels of the sunscreens listed above, and consumers are advised to stop using the products immediately. According to J&J, benzene is not an ingredient in its sunscreens, and it is now conducting an investigation into how the contamination occurred. The company further stated that the contamination was limited to these aerosol sunscreens.
Benzene occurs naturally in volcanoes and forest fires, as well as cigarette smoke and crude oil. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, long-term exposure can damage the bone marrow and immune system.
"Based on exposure modeling and the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) framework, daily exposure to benzene in these aerosol sunscreen products at the levels detected in our testing would not be expected to cause adverse health consequences." J&J wrote in its statement. "Out of an abundance of caution, we are recalling all lots of these specific aerosol sunscreen products."
Consumers can call JJCI Consumer Care Center to request a refund or ask questions. Any adverse reactions can be reported to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting portal. The FDA releases a concurrent announcement of the product recalls.
These recalls are just the most recent examples of products J&J has pulled from the shelves due to cancer concerns. In late 2019, the company recalled 33,000 bottles of Baby Powder after the FDA discovered trace amounts of asbestos in samples of the product.
More than 17,000 federal lawsuits have been filed against the company regarding allegations that J&J knowingly sold products that cause cancer.